Vehicle-tire.



J. A. MACMILLAN.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1909.

1,164,834. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

l V YNES 515$ I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MACMILLAN, OF DAY ION, OHIO.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. MACMILLAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident I of the city ofDayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cushion tires for vehicles.

The principal object of the invention is to produce a cushion tire, which, while possessing all the advantages of a pneumatic tire, is free from its inherent defects.

In carrying out my invention in preferred form I provide a tire of exterior appearance similar to an ordinary pneumatic tire and which may be placed on an ordinary clencher rim and will securely stay in position without the use of any fastening devices.

My tire is constructed so that the deformationsnecessary to accommodate inequalities in the road surfaces are easily permitted and so that the tire quickly returns to its normal shape. In service the actionof the tire is practically the same as that of a properly inflated pneumatic tire.

The invention will nowbe fully described so that persons skilled in the art may make and use the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows an ex emplifying structure in which the invention is embodied.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a tire embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the tire. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the bridges or columns. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fragment of the base.

Reference numeral 1 designates the body or casing of the tire which may be of substantially the same external form as that of an ordinary pneumatic casing. The edges of the base 2 in a preferred construction are provided with clencher beads 3.to fit an ordinaryclencher rim. The hollow interior 4 of the tire is provided at intervals with the transversely arranged blocks or columns '5.

The. columns at the beginning of the process of manufacture are generally separate from the tire body, but after the tire has been built and vulcanized the said columns become integral with the casing of the tire. The tread 6 of the tire body forms in effect a truss connecting the outer ends' of the columns 5. g

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed April 26, 1909. Serial No. 492,151.

When a tire constructed as above described 1s 1n use and a projection in the road surface 1s encountered, the tread of the tire is compressed. If. the pressure is applied to the tread at a point opposite one of the columns, the material of the columns expands in the direction of the circumference of the tire. If pressure is applied between the columns, the material of the tread is dlsplaced inwardly between the columns. In either case the side walls of the tire expand more or less depending on the size of the obstacle encountered. On removal of the pressure the elasticity of the parts 'quickly restores them to normal shape.

The tire body is composed of a suitable rubber composition with canvas reinforcements. The columns 5 are generally of substantlally pure, very flexible and elastic rubber or rubber composition, in comparison with the rubber of the casing, which is relatively harder and stifl'er, for the purpose of resisting road wear. The material of the columns is easily displaced in any direction and quicklv returns to proper shape. The canvas reinforcement extends all the Way from the base of the casing at one side to the base at the other side and around the entire circumference of the tire and this reinforcement is made much heavier adjacent to the tread. The side Walls of the tire are thus made thin and relatively flexible to provide for the necessary motion. The additional reinforcement in the tread indeflection, consisting of the heavy canvasreinforced tread. Additional strength and durability is imparted to the tread portion by the fact that reinforcement is not confined to the tread alone, but is continuous around the entire body of the. casing, as viewed in cross section. This corresponds to the dished form of a sheet metal stamping for instance, by which much greater strength I and rigidity is imparted than could be The columns in. a preferred constructionv are split centrally, longitudinally of the tire, and the adjacent faces of the splits are lined with canvas 7'. When the columns are compressed and the side walls of the tire expand, these splits in the columns may open.

moreor less and facilitate the flexible action of the tire. The slits int'he successive columns form in effect a' longitudinal bifurcation through'thewhole base of the tire. This bifurcationifi addition to the function above mentioned permits easy removal of the mold blocks used to form the'space's between the columns after the tire is vulcanized.

As shown in the drawing it is usually preferred to construct the tire so that the side portions of the-base are separated a substantial distance through the circumference of the tire. The columns come out flush with the baseof the tire, and close the base between the cells or recesses formed by the columns. lateral stability of the structure. I

To increase the resistance of the trea'd to deformation in some cases it is desirable to provide the inside of the tread with a longitudinal bead -or rib 8. This increases the thickness and'stifi'ness of the tread on the center line. The stiffness of the tread may be further increased by a mass of canvas reinforcement 9 incorporated in the tread outside the head.

The clencher beads, when used, are reinforced by annular rings 10 of comparatively of' the base, and form hard rubber suitably shaped and inclosed within the canvas strips 11 which extend from one side of the base through the'side walls and tread of the tire to the other side the main support of the tire body.

The arrangement of the columns may be greatly varied. They need not be arranged at" right angles to the tread, but may be in some cases diagonally or otherwise suitably arranged. Other features of the construction may also be widely varied within the spirit of the invention. The invention described would be responded to by any cushion tire in which the interior of the tire is formed with masses of'rubber interspaced with cellular openings, combined with the other essential 'elements of the invention. I n 'some cases, after the tlre is otherwise c'iimpleted, an additional strip, or additional strips of canvas are inserted in the slits in columns 5. This has the effect of expanding the base of the tire, and gives added ten- This adds materially to the I sion to the locking means: The slits in the columns 5 form in effect openings between the cellular compartments of the tire and if it is desired the slits may be enlarged or other apertures may be provided through the columns 5 to connect the tire compartments. Such interconnection of the compartments permits circulation of air within the tire and assists in cooling the tire. When the slits 10 are employed, it is to be understood that when the .tire is in position on the rim, under normal conditions, these slits are closed and the columns 5 form, in

effect, solid, continuous, radial partitions within the tire and the bases of these columns solidlyfill the space between the base portions 6 of the casing. In placing the clencher based tire on a clencher rim, the

base portionsyare'for'cibly squeezed together,-

compressing the bases of the columns and when released these column bases forcibly and securely and yieldingly hold the clencher beads in the rim with such security that it is almost impossible to remove the tire from the rim except by cutting it off or using clamps, and in practice the tire will in almostevery case remain properly seated to an ordmary clencher rim andfor that reason has and is described as having in a preferred'form a clencher base, the form of the base may be greatly varied. The tire may have a base of any suitable form by means of which it may be secured to any of various kinds of rirns.

I claim:

1. A tire consisting of an integral structure comprisin a hollow casing having a clencher base w1th separated sides and solid, integral transverse columns of comparatively soft rubber within the tire, the columns being provided with a normally closed slit extending from the base toward the center of the tire. s

2. A vehicle tire consisting of an integral structure oomprising. a hollow casing having a clencher base with separated sides, the interior of the tire'and the space. between the sides at the base being completely filled at intervals by transversely arranged radial columns of relatively. soft elastic material, the columns bein provided with normally closed slits extendi the center of the tire.

3. A tire comprising a hollow casing having a suitable base to permit the tire to be secured to a wheel-rim, and'columns of relatively soft rubber com osition in the casing serving to divide the interior of the casing .into cellular compartments, the columns beng from the base towardv ing slitted from their bases to approximately the center of the tire, and canvas inserted in said slits, serving to expand the base.

4. A tire comprising a hollow casing having a clencher base, the sides of the base being considerably separated, and columns of relatively soft rubber composition in the easing serving'todivide the interior of the casing into cellular compartments, the columns being slitted from their bases to approxi mately the center of the tire, and canvas inaerted in said slits, serving to expand the ase.

5. A tire comprising a hollow casing having a clencher base, the sides of the base being considerably separated, and solid radial columns of rubber composition arranged within the tire at intervals, the bases of the columns being flush with the base of the tire and connecting the sides of the base at intervals, the columns being slitted from their base to approximately the center of the tire.

6. A tire comprising a hollow casing having a clencher base, the sides of the base being considerably separated, and columns of rubber composition arranged within the tire at intervals, the bases of the columns being flush with the base of the tire and connecting the sides of the base at intervals, the columns being slitted from their bases to approximately the center of the tire, and canvas strips inserted in the slits, serving to expand the base of the tire.

7, A vehicle tire comprising a casing of substantially round cross-section with relatively thick tread portions and relatively thin side walls, clencher hooks formed outwardly at the bases of the sides, said bases being considerably separated throughout the inner circumference of the tire, transverse, substantially-radial rubber columns within the casing completely filling the in-' terior of the tire and the space between said bases at intervals, the width of the column bases being such that when the clencher members are forced into a clencher rim the expansion of the columns firmly holds said dial rubber columns within the casing completely filling the interior of the tire and the space between said bases at intervals, the width of the column bases being such that when the clencher members are forced into the clencher rim, the expansion of the columns firmly holds said clencher hooks in position.

' JOHN A. MACMILLAN. Witnesses:

K. L. FINCH,

WALTER T. Emo'rr. 

